Transition Team

My then 11-year-old daughter one day told me she thought she was living in the worst of times because of how people treat our planet.

“No,” I replied, “the world is changing, and we are on the Transition Team.” That’s how I feel.

Despite all the challenges, so many wonderful things are happening in our world. I believe there’s more good than bad. Unfortunately, the media tends to amplify the negative, creating the illusion that all is bleak. Even though I avoid television and newspapers, negative news finds its way to me through social media.

When I first arrived on the beautiful island of Bali, I was in awe of its beauty. But as time passed, I began to notice the plastic waste and rubbish scattered everywhere. This new awareness struck me deeply, shifting my awe into sadness. Whenever a shopkeeper handed me a plastic bag, I’d respond, “Nooo, tidak plastic,” in a voice tinged with frustration, as if I needed to educate them.

However, a conversation with a friend who had been in Bali five years prior changed my perspective. He explained that the plastic waste I saw was only about a third of what it was five years ago. Bali was already transitioning. There are beach clean-ups, bamboo straws replacing plastic ones, and a growing awareness.

Progress is already happening.

I told my daughter she was here on this planet to be part of the positive change.

“Good will always win over bad,” I assured her. And as I explained that this belief was part of why we were in Bali, tears welled up in my eyes. I realized more than ever that being on the Transition Team was the reason my marriage ended. My husband couldn’t cope with this calling, I felt so strongly.

Never in my life had I imagined becoming the kind of mother who lived far from her children. Yet, here I was. My beautiful 19-year-old son and wonderful 23-year-old daughter were thousands of miles away. They’re no longer toddlers, but they still need their mother. I’m in my fifties and still need mine.

Thank goodness for the internet. It allows us to call, video chat, and message each other. But it’s not the same as sharing a cup of tea or hugging them.

Those moments can never be replaced.

I didn’t wake up one morning and decide to join the Transition Team. Looking back, I realize I’ve likely been on it for years, maybe my whole life. I’ve always been different.

My house was smoke-free decades before it became common. We ate organic food long before most people I knew even considered it. To this day, I meet people who know all about diseases and medications but have never thought to examine what they eat. Conversations like these make me feel like I’m from another planet.

You might wonder what food has to do with the Transition Team. The answer is: everything.

My grandmother wasn’t like other grandmothers, my mom is not like other moms, and neither am I. They were ahead of their time, just as I often feel I am.

Being ahead of your time can feel isolating, as if you don’t quite belong. But I’ve come from a lineage of strong women who survived, and I know I will too.

I see that strength in my daughters as well.

We choose our lives, and I often wonder why I chose to be on this Transition Team.

Is it worth the price?

Then I see posts from others on this journey. One stood out: “In a few years, our children will ask us what we did about the challenges destroying our planet. What will your answer be? Did you do something, or did you look away?”

I know my answer.

Do you know yours?